Coronavirus Florida: COVID-19, antibody testing coming to this community west of Boynton

Mike Diamond Special to The Post

Wednesday

May 6, 2020 at 11:51 AM

Coronavirus updates: Coral Lakes, a 1,324-unit development, has contracted with HELIX Urgent Care to do testing for COVID-19 and for antibodies at its clubhouse on Friday.

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Limited to just one venue in Palm Beach County a month ago, coronavirus testing spots are now scattered throughout the area and one is even coming to an active adult retirement community west of Boynton Beach.

Coral Lakes, a 1,324-unit development, has contracted with HELIX Urgent Care to do testing for COVID-19 and for antibodies at its clubhouse on Friday. Residents will have to meet CDC guidelines to get the COVID-19 test but anyone can get the antibody test. Medicare and secondary insurance is expected to cover all costs.

"We recognized that there was real need for this," Coral Lakes General Manager Laurel Kadouri said. "Many of our residents may have wanted to get tested but were afraid to go out of the community. So we are bringing the test to them."

Kadouri said she has been working for a number of weeks to find a company willing to test at Coral Lakes. "We wanted a company that would accept insurance and not charge us a site fee," she said. "HELIX is willing to do that."

At the time she began her search, she noted that the only testing was at the South County Civic Center and at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. There have been numerous complaints about the lack of testing in Palm Beach County. On a per-capita basis, the county is behind both Broward and Miami-Dade counties but the gap has narrowed in recent weeks.

HELIX operates five urgent care centers in South Florida; three in Palm Beach County, one in Martin County and one in Broward County. Robert Rodriguez, the owner of the company, said he has enough tests to accommodate everyone but may have to return for a second day of testing depending on how many residents want to be tested. He expects most of the testing to involve antibodies.

"We knew there would be tremendous demand for this," said Kadouri, "but it has been overwhelming."

As of early Monday afternoon, more than 500 residents wanted to participate. Antibody test results are expected within 48 hours; the nasal swab test results may take five days. HELIX staff will wear protective equipment and social distancing will be practiced. Residents will be required to wear masks.

Kadouri made other communities aware of the contract she negotiated with HELIX. Four other retirement communities west of Boynton Beach have contacted HELIX to bring the coronavirus testing to their communities as well.

Residents must first speak with a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant through a virtual session before being scheduled. The nasal-swab test for the virus will only be given to residents who meet CDC guidelines although Rodriguez said those guidelines are constantly being updated; the final decision will rest with the medical professional doing the screening. Those guidelines call for the presence of symptoms that include a fever, cough or a respiratory problem.

Rodriguez noted anyone will eligible for the antibody test but it is not recommended for someone who currently has the virus. Antibody tests or blood tests can reveal whether a person has ever been infected, identifying previously undetected cases and improving estimates of the overall size of the outbreak.

At issue is whether the existence of the antibody means that someone is immune to the virus. The American Medical Association said last week that more study is needed to answer that question and until that is done, people should not use the antibody tests to guide their decisions on physical distancing.

According to HELIX, 9 percent of the tests administered to its patients yielded positive results and about a third of them had no symptoms before testing.